Longwood Picks Up Win; Campbell & High Point Post Ties

Aug 25

Longwood Defeats Visiting Richmond in Second Overtime, 2-1FARMVILLE, Va. -- Longwood University took a 2-1 non-conference women's soccer double-overtime home victory past the visiting University of Richmond from the Atlantic 10 Conference Friday night at the Athletics Complex in Farmville. Senior captain Lindsey Ottavio|Fairfax (W.T. Woodson) scored both goals unassisted for the Lancers (2-1), including the exciting game-winner just 50-seconds into the second extra period. Ottavio scored her first goal in the 65th minute after the hosts and Spiders (0-3) were scoreless at the intermission. Longwood will play again on Monday night, August 27, at Howard University of the Great West Conference in Washington, D.C. beginning at 7 p.m.

Longwood and Richmond battled scoreless through the first 45 minutes, and through nearly 20 minutes of the second half before Ottavio took the ball through the middle of the box while beating a defender and the keeper with a shot to the left side of the net at 64:35. The Spiders, however, controlled most of the action for the remainder of the period and finally moved the net on a header by Ashley Williams from a corner kick by Natalie LeClair in the 78th minute. It was 1-1 following 90 minutes of regulation, and it remained that way after the first 10-minute overtime session. Ottavio finally ended the well-played match successfully for the Lancers at 100:50 when she took a loose ball in the box and once again beat the keeper with a hard shot to the left side for the sudden victory.

Richmond took a 17-8 advantage in shots, including 10-5 in attempts on goal, and the Spiders had an 8-3 edge in corner kicks too. Junior Kelsey Pardue|Henrico (Hermitage) had three shots, two on goal, and Ottavio had her two shots, on goal for Longwood. Senior keeper Kyra Byron|Richmond (Mills. E. Godwin) played the duration in front of the net for the Lancers with nine saves.

LeClair had four shots, three on goal, to lead Richmond while Andrea Young played the duration for the Spiders with three saves.

Longwood and Richmond were playing for the seventh time in the sport of women's soccer, and the Spiders still lead the close series, 3-2-2.

Runnin' Bulldogs Fall 3-0 in Road Tilt at Georgia Southern FridayStatesboro, Ga. - Gardner-Webb women's soccer was unable to get momentum running in its favor on Friday as the host team Georgia Southern sprinted to an early lead and never looked back as the Runnin' Bulldogs dropped a 3-0 final decision.

The loss drops GWU to 0-2 on the young season.

The Runnin' Bulldogs' starting lineup was dominated by true freshmen, as seven of GWU's eleven starters are playing in their first year of collegiate soccer. That youth was put to the test early on as Georgia Southern went on top with a goal by Nora El-Shami in the fifth minute.

Gardner-Webb freshman Tara Woelfel (Thurmont, Md.) nearly provided a counter point for the Runnin' Bulldogs two minutes later when she found a good look at the goal and put a shot on target, but it was saved by Eagles' keeper Katie Merson and to keep the score at 1-0 in favor of Georgia Southern.

After its early struggles, the Gardner-Webb defense was able to bear down and keep the Eagles from capitalizing on any open looks for much of the first half.

Another Gardner-Webb freshman found open space to give the Runnin' Bulldogs a chance to tie it up, as defender Brooke Kelly (Lawrenceville, Ga.) put a shot on goal, but it was again saved by Merson to keep the Eagles on top 1-0.

The Runnin' Bulldogs caught a bad break when an Eagles run deep in the Gardner-Webb zone resulted in a penalty inside the box. The ensuing Georgia Southern penalty kick by Courtney Collins found the back of the net to put the host team up 2-0 going into the break.

In the second half, Gardner-Webb continued to look to find offensive opportunities to chip into the Eagles' lead, yet was unable to put threatening shots on goal and consistently pressure the opponents' backline. Runnin' Bulldog keeper Amy Schmitt (Waxhaw, N.C.) helped keep GWU's hopes at mounting a comeback alive with five saves in the contest.

Georgia Southern added a goal in the 68th minute to provide the final 3-0 margin.

Gardner-Webb's youth will look to continue to improve as the early matchups in its 2012 slate of games progress.

The Runnin' Bulldogs turn around to play Sunday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. against North Florida in Jacksonville, Fla.

VMI Women's Soccer Falls to Elon, 4-0, Before Record CrowdLEXINGTON, Va. - Despite an even matchup statistically, the Elon Phoenix scored two goals in the first 14 minutes of play and never looked back, as they posted a 4-0 win over the VMI Keydets in women's soccer action Friday at Patchin Field. The game was played before a crowd of 823 fans, the highest attendance for a home game in VMI women's soccer history.

After the Keydets (0-2) had a goal wiped off the board in the third minute, Elon (1-1-1) countered in the eighth minute. Julie Hibberd made a run down the right sideline and played a cross into the box, an attempt that was headed home by Samantha Burch for an early goal and a 1-0 Phoenix lead. Jaclyn Wood added a score just over six minutes later, when a VMI defender headed a ball out of danger, but directly to Wood's feet at the top of the box. The resultant shot found the upper left corner of the net, making it 2-0 Elon, and the visitors would add two second-half goals to account for the final margin.

Despite the final score, the game was relatively close statistically, as the Keydets held a 9-8 lead in shots. VMI also earned four of the match's five corner kicks.

After a 20-minute rainstorm during warm-ups, the weather changed to a cloudy, 80-degree day with very little wind as action started. The Keydets mounted the first offensive threat, with Christelle Ndongo making a run into the box to Elon keeper Kate Murphy's left. Ndongo played the ball into the middle for Allie Segura, who got tangled up with a Phoenix defender. Segura won the ball, however, and spun to her left to get off a sliding shot. The ball beat Murphy for a would-be goal, but was waved off due to an offside violation. Moments later, Hibberd found Burch to stake the visitors to a 1-0 lead.

VMI, meanwhile, had tested Murphy twice, in both the sixth and eighth minutes, but the Elon keeper was up to the task on both occasions. The Phoenix threatened again in the 12th minute, but on a 1 vs. 0 breakaway, Mackenzie Harrmann came out and dueled the ball away from the attacking player to prevent a shot from being attempted. Elon struck again, however, in the 14th minute, as Wood found the back of the net to Harrmann's right to make it 2-0, visitors.

From there, the contest settled down a bit, as only three shots were attempted over the next 21 minutes. The squads traded tries beginning at 32:47, when Burch missed wide for Elon, and at 34:26, when Meredith Baldasare was wide for the Keydets. In the 36th minute, Simone Jimenez tried a header off a corner kick, but Murphy leapt high to secure the pop-up, keeping Elon's edge at 2-0.

Pouliot missed well wide in the 41st minute, and an Elon shot in the waning seconds of the half was also well off as the first half concluded. Over the initial 45 minutes, the visiting squad held a 6-5 edge in shot, with Murphy's three saves also proving key.

The Keydets came out with the advantage to start the second half, controlling possession early on. Murphy was forced to stop a Segura header in the 52nd minute, while a Ndongo try was blocked five minutes later. VMI also had multiple deep runs that the Elon defense stopped, maintaining a 2-0 Phoenix lead.

From there, neither team could muster a shot attempt until the 78th minute, when perhaps the game's most dramatic moment occurred. Liz Affronti hit a corner kick from the left side of the field, and the ball found Segura's feet eight yards out. She quickly fired a shot, but an Elon defender cut to the side of goalkeeper Murphy and deflected the ball away to keep the Keydets from scoring.

On the counter attack, Olivia Mackey fired a shot from just outside the box. It tipped off a VMI defender, and that redirection allowed it to get past Harrmann for a goal, giving Elon a 3-0 advantage. That cushion grew to 4-0 in the 82nd minute, when Raychel Diver headed home a cross from Caroline O'Dee to account for the final margin.

Harrmann had one save in net for VMI, while Murphy stopped four shots for in Elon's victory. VMI women's soccer returns to action Sept. 1, concluding a three-game homestand by facing USC Aiken. Game time is set for 1 p.m.

Campbell Women's Soccer Ties Francis Marion in Double OvertimeFor the second time in as many games, the Fighting Camels went into overtime after a tied regulation. After 90 minutes, the score was tied 1-1, and after two overtime periods with no goals, the game was called a tie.

The first two shots of the game for Campbell resulted in two saves for Francis Marion goalkeeper Taylor O'Berry, as senior Taylor Brown took a shot from a free kick and senior Kirsty Meyer took a shot from in the box.

In the 11th minute, sophomore Ashley Clark banged a shot off the right goal post in front of O'Berry.

The game remained scoreless until Francis Marion's Elizabeth Asare took the ball into the box unassisted and put it past Campbell goalkeeper Ryann Torrero for the score. The Camels trailed for the first time in 2012.

For the second time in the half, Clark put her shot on the goal post, this time from the left side with 19:27 left in the first half.

In the best scoring opportunity of the first half of the Fighting Camels, sophomore Michelle Proccacini put the ball in the back of the net, but it was called a hand ball and the goal was recalled.

The first half ended 1-0 in favor of the Patriots.

The Camels dominated in the second half, taking 10 shots to Francis Marion's four.

Six minutes into the second half, Campbell defender Bailee Johnston, a sophomore, hit the ball to Clark, who ran behind the Patriot defense. She had a shot, but O'Berry was there to stop it.

Campbell's next close opportunity came from Clark in the 75th minute from the top of the box, but her shot went over the crossbar by a few inches.

The Fighting Camels finally converted a shot with just over five minutes left in regulation. Clark took a corner from the right side, and the ball went straight into the goal to bring the score to 1-1.

After the two halves ended, the game went into two ten-minute golden goal periods.

Each side put up one shot in the first overtime with no luck.

In the second period, the Patriots' only shot came from Kelly Kady, who received the ball off a cross from Sandy Odembo. Her shot was saved by Torrero to keep the game alive.

With just under a minute to go, Clark took a shot from outside the penalty box, but hit the crossbar for the fourth time in the game. Meyer took a shot off the rebound, but it sailed wide.

The game ended 1-1, and the Fighting Camels moved to a record of 1-0-1. In their next match, Campbell will take on Marshall in Buies Creek on September 3 at 4:00.

Presbyterian College Women's Soccer Falls in Overtime to ETSU, 3-2JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. - Presbyterian College women's soccer forward Tori Lopez (Snellville, Ga.) scored with 2:17 left in regulation to force overtime against East Tennessee State on Friday night, but a quick Buccaneers goal in the extra period gave PC its second overtime loss in as many games, 3-2.

PC moves to 0-2-0 on the season while ETSU improves to 3-0-0.

Lopez headed in a left-side cross from freshman Sophie Cobb (Columbia, S.C.) to tie the match at 2-2 in the 88th minute. The goal marked Lopez's second of the young campaign and Cobb received her first collegiate assist on the play.

ETSU answered 2:31 into the first overtime as Samantha Kron sent in a corner that Andie Stone finished off via header to end the contest.

The Blue Hose struck first on the night, as Stephanie Allen (Augusta, Ga.) picked up her second goal of the season by scoring from the left side of the six-yard box to put PC ahead in the eighth minute. Sara Simpson (Columbia, Ga., pictured above) brought the ball into the box for Allen and picked up an assist, her second helper of the season.

Ramey Kerns put the home side in front with goals in the 22nd and 27th minutes, both coming from close range. The score stayed a 2-1 in favor of ETSU until Lopez's play to send the game into extra time.

PC goalkeeper Jordan Broadway (Chapin, S.C.) made six saves in the contest, including three in the second half.

Freshman Christy Darracott (Augusta, Ga.) made her collegiate debut with an appearance in the second half.

PC stays on the road for its next match, a Sunday contest at Clemson. Kick-off is slated for 2 p.m.

High Point Women's Soccer Plays Tennessee Tech to a 1-1 tieThe High Point University women's soccer team opened its home schedule with a 1-1 tie against Tennessee Tech on Friday night at Vert Stadium in High Point, N.C. Junior Becca Hemby scored the lone goal for HPU, her third in as many games.

High Point fell behind early in the game when a free kick from the center circle by TTU's Leigh Hefner bounced in the box and over High Point keeper Jesse May for a score in the sixth minute.

The Panthers slowly clawed their way back into the game gaining more possession as play continued and in the 34th minute Hemby tied the score with her third goal of the season. HPU earned a free kick in the midfield and sophomore Alise LeCompte delivered the ball into the box. Senior Katie Harris out jumped her marker and headed the ball down to Hemby who slid forward to tap the ball just inside the right post. The junior midfielder has scored all three of High Point's goals this season.

In the second half, HPU continued to control the run of play, outshooting Tennessee Tech by a 9-5 margin. The Panthers put three shots on goal in the period but were unable to beat TTU keeper Jordan Brown.

With the score tied after 90 minutes the game entered extra time where High Point continued to earn the better scoring chances. In the 95th minute junior Kelli Joline sprang sophomore Jacky Kessler loose in the box behind the Golden Eagles defense. The forward beat the keeper with her shot but the ball hit off the right post and back into play. Five minutes later, Harris got her head on a free kick and hit it down towards the far post but was denied by Brown on a diving save.

High Point controlled the run of play throughout the second half and extra time and finished the game with a 25-11 edge in shots, including a 9-5 lead in shots on goal. In the overtime period HPU outshot Tennessee Tech 10-1.

The Panthers return to the road on Sunday, Aug. 26, when they travel to Statesboro, Ga., to face Georgia Southern at 2 p.m. HPU is 1-0-1 in two games against GSU during the Panthers' Div. I era. The two teams last met in 2008 in Statesboro when they played to a 4-4 tie.